Ventricular Septal Defect

Question 1

what chromosomal disorders are associated with ventricular septal defects (VSD)?

Answer 1

• down’s syndrome
• edward’s syndrome
• patau syndrome
• cri-du-chat syndrome

Question 2

what are the causes of ventricular septal defects (VSD)?

Answer 2

• chromosomal disorders
• congenital infections
• acquired causes - e.g. pos-MI

Question 3

at what stage peri-natally can ventricular septal defects (VSD) be identified?

Answer 3

20 week scan

Question 4

how does ventricular septal defects (VSD) present post-natally?

Answer 4

• failure to thrive
• features of heart failure - hepatomegaly, tachypnoea, tachycardia, pallor
• pan-systolic murmur - louder in smaller defects

Question 5

how often do ventricular septal defects (VSD) close spontaneous?

Answer 5

50%

Question 6

what are the possible complications of ventricular septal defects (VSD)?

Answer 6

• aortic regurgitation
• infective endocarditis
• eisenmenger’s complex
• right heart failure
• pulmonary hypertension

Question 7

what is eisenmenger’s complex?

Answer 7

• due to prolonged pulmonary hypertension from the left-to-right shunt
• results in right ventricular hypertrophy and increased right ventricular pressure –> exceeds left ventricular pressure –> reversal of blood flow
• cyanosis and clubbing
• heart-lung transplant